Published May 15, 2026 Written by Rebecca Smith

Early years activity: St George’s big journey

St George never visited England – so what better way to mark his day than by finding out where he came from.

This activity takes children on a journey from Cappadocia in Turkey to their own front door, weaving in a dragon that just needs a friend. Big conversations about kindness, courage and belonging, through story, sensory exploration and imagination. Let’s go!

Learning aims

To develop curiosity and respect for people and cultures from different parts of the world
To understand that bravery can mean choosing kindness over fear
To connect George’s story to children’s own experiences of journeys and belonging
To practise empathy by considering how someone new or different might feel.

Resources

A simple map (physical or online)
Images of Cappadocia’s landscape (the caves are particularly striking and easily found online)
Spices to smell – cumin, dried mint, sumac (common in Turkish dishes)
A dragon puppet, soft toy, or a dragon made by the children
Diverse small world figures.

Activity outline

Gather children around the map and introduce George as someone born far away in a land of mountains and caves – mark Cappadocia and trace a simple journey to England. Encourage children to share journeys they’ve made
Pass around the spices, naming them as you do so. Ask if children have seen, tasted or have smelt them before. Encourage children to describe what they see and smell
Tell the dragon story using the props. Feel free to embellish the story, but keep the essence of the story as the following: One day a dragon came to the village, and everyone was scared and ran away because the dragon looked different and made strange noises. Everyone ran except George. George knew what it was like to be far away from home and he walked up to the dragon and asked, “Are you okay?”
Invite the children to respond to questions such as, “Why was everyone scared?”, “What did George do that was brave?”. Discuss how offering kindness can sometimes take courage and bravery
Leave the area set up and let the children use the small world figures and the dragon to retell the story in their own way.

Extension ideas

Children make their own dragons, give it a name and name the place it comes from. Create a display for ‘People and dragons from everywhere’. Children’s dragons can sit alongside a world map with places highlighted that are important to families in your setting. Celebrating the idea that good things, and good people, come from all over the world.

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Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.